Background: The Constitutive Act of the African
Union (AU), in Article 3(h) provides a clear mandate on the promotion and
protection of human and peoples’ rights on the continent. This mandate is
further reinforced by the continental human rights instruments, including the
African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the establishment of African
Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR).

During its fifth (5th) Ordinary Session held
in Benghazi, Libya in 1989, the ACHPR adopted Resolution ACHPR/Res.1(V)89 on
the celebration of an African Day of Human and Peoples’ Rights. It is for this
reason that Member States of the African Union commemorate 21 October of each year
as the African Human Rights Day.

The overall goal of the
commemoration is to, among other things, reflect on and recommit to the solemn
declaration by the peoples and leaders of Africa on promotion and protection of
human and people’s rights on the Continent.

The theme of the 2018 African
Human Rights Day is “Fighting Corruption and Advancing Human Rights: Our
Collective Responsibility”.